Ka Pe‘ahi Lono: Monthly Message for October 2024
Date/Time sent: 10/01/2024 10:30 amUH West Oʻahu Value Proposition
We prepare 21st Century leaders, career creators through integrated, transdisciplinary programs where learners and teachers, together, discover and innovate and engage diverse communities to create a vibrant and socially just world.
Hoʻokāhi ka ilau like ana (Wield the paddles together)
Aloha mai kākou e UH West Oʻahu ʻOhana!
Welina!!
I hope your Fall 2024 semester is going well! Our campus has come alive with so many engaging and dynamic programs from Pueo Pilina, to workshops and symposiums, visits from international schools and universities, and so much more! We are looking forward to another month filled with inspirational and informational events. In this Peʻahi Lono we announce our screening of a FIFO documentary, ask for your support for the West Oʻahu Student Career Expo, share our Kūlana O Kapolei fall newsletter, and include important updates and highlights (scroll down please). Two important events this month:
- Launch of the Healthy Minds Study on Oct. 14. There are two separate surveys: one for students and the other for faculty and staff. In 2022 we administered the survey, our baseline survey, which provided baseline data that helped us to better understand what we were doing well in regards to the health and well-being of all members of our UH West Oʻahu ʻohana. And the survey provided information on what we needed to do better. We have been working on strengthening our efforts. This second survey will let us know how weʻre doing and provide us with updated information that will assist us in developing a strategic action plan to increase our efforts in this area.
- JED Foundation site visit, Oct. 30 – Nov. 1. In tandem with our Healthy Minds Study, the JED Foundation (see weblink) https://jedfoundation.org/ will be on campus meeting with focus groups and campus leaders to support our efforts to generate and implement our mental health and well-being campus plan. Mahalo to everyone who will and has participated in this important effort.
The U.S. News College rankings are out! Mahalo to our faculty and staff! Your commitment to our students and your excellent efforts have resulted in top U.S. News Best Colleges rankings. Here is a link to our profile on the U.S. News Best Colleges website:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-hawaii-west-oahu-21078
Here are our top rankings:
- 2025 Overall Rank in Regional Colleges (West): 10 (we were 15 last year)
- 2025 Public Schools Rank: 3 (3 last year)
- 2025 Social Mobility Rank: 13 (26 last year)
- 2025 Veterans Rank: 4 (4 last year)
Mahalo again for living into our pahuhopu, our guilding principles: kaiāulu, hana lawelawe, mālama ʻāina, waiwai, a me poʻokela! We are collectively actualizing our theory of distinctiveness that dynamically activates our “learner/student” focus through our efforts to deliver our programs through Transdisciplinary approaches and Engaged Scholarship; to ground our efforts in Aloha ʻĀina sustaining and caring for all that nurtures us; to build ʻŌiwi Leadership ensuring we strengthen and professionalize, build skills and capacities for critical thinking, through compassion; and, to inspire Innovation and Transformation. You make a difference in the lives of our students and our communities we serve!
E ʻeleu mai ʻoukou! Step lively, let’s move together!
E mālama pono!
Maenette Benham, Chancellor
Health and Well-Being Reminder
Keep in mind, kūkūlu kaiāulu! Please strengthen our community with your passions, respect for one another, and patience! Please respect an individual’s personal choice to wear a face mask. Mahalo to everyone, for your patience and empathy, your good work and commitment to care for one another!
Although we are no longer in a public health emergency in regard to the COVID-19 virus please stay vigilant. Health officials are keeping watch on the latest variants and any rise in cases and their potential for causing serious illness.
If you test positive for COVID-19:
- Isolate for 5 days.
- After 5 days, you may return to work or classes if you have been fever-free for 24 hours.
- Wear a mask for an additional 5 days around others.
You can notify your instructor or supervisor that you tested positive for COVID-19 or that you have been exposed but it is not required. You should let them know if you will be out sick as you would for any other illness that would cause you to miss class or work time. Masking is optional on campus and in offices, except where required, for example, in certain healthcare-related clinical situations. Again, please respect an individual’s personal choice to wear a face mask.
Important Highlights
Here are our September highlights you might have missed:
- Buy student-designed cookie tin, support Creative Media program
- UH 4-year universities high on U.S. News and World Report rankings
- $1.2M awarded to UH West Oʻahu and Mānoa to develop highly qualified secondary math teachers
- ‘Ulu‘ulu launches new website and online catalog
- Top esports companies tap UH talent for summer internships
Festival International du Film Documentaire Océanien (FIFO) PREMIERE
“The Return of Polynesia’s Treasures”
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024
UH West Oʻahu will again premiere a FIFO (Festival International du Film Documentaire Océanien) documentary on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in our Academy for Creative Media Theatre. “The Return of Polynesia’s Treasures” is a 2025 entry to FIFO. The 52-minute documentary (French with English subtitles), produced by Archipel Production and directed by Denis Pinson, tells the moving story of the reclaiming of Polynesian heritage and identity, symbolized by the return of emblematic works of art to Polynesian soil after a long exile. You will discover the fascinating journey of these sacred objects as they finally find their rightful place in the Fare Iamanaha – Museum of Tahiti and the Islands. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guest speakers Miriama Bono, president of FIFO, former director of the French Polynesia Museum, architect, and painter; and Hinatea Colombani, artist and kapa maker. Our own Dr. Sam Farinella will facilitate the screening and presentation.
Here’s the program. PLEASE come join us for the full morning or a part of the morning.
- 9:15 a.m.: Showcase of Pacific Islander artists
- 10 a.m.: Screening of documentary in ACM Theatre, followed by Q&A with Miriama Bono and Hinatea Colombani
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Launa on patio with light lunch
Seating for the 10 a.m. screening and the Q&A to follow is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis; RSVP at https://go.hawaii.edu/39a. The 9:15 a.m. showcase and 11:30 a.m. light lunch are open to all. More event details will be forthcoming.
We Need Your Kōkua
We are excited to invite you to volunteer at the West O’ahu Student Career Expo 2024! Oct. 24 and/or Oct. 25 (volunteer for one or both days.) This event is a fantastic opportunity to support over 2,000 ninth graders from West O’ahu schools as they explore UH West Oʻahu programs along with potential career paths and essential skills for their future employment.
- Dates: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, and Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. The following schools are participating on Thursday, Oct. 24: Waiʻanae H.S., Kamaile Academy, Kapolei Charter School, Dreamhouse Charter School and Island Pacific Academy. The following schools are participating on Friday, Oct 25: Kapolei H.S. and James Campbell H.S.
- Time: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Location: University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu Great Lawn
- Volunteer Roles: Helping with check-in, assisting students with off-loading and onboarding buses, and monitoring student safety and flow through event spaces.
- How to Register: Please register here by Friday, Oct. 4, to volunteer for one or both days.
Hana Lawelawe: On Leadership
Kūlana o Kapolei Newsletter
Our Kūlana o Kapolei, Dr. Manu Meyer, records all the ways we are living into our pahuhopu in her first newsletter for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. She begins:
Fall semester here at UH West Oʻahu started off with many exciting events, projects, and collaborations. We here at Kūlana o Kapolei would like to share why and how we can accomplish these things – it is through an ancient and on-going understanding of our ʻike kupuna (ancestral knowledge). And where can this be found in our modern world? Here at UH West Oʻahu! These principles/practices are found in our Pahuhopu, our institutional Guiding Principles we work to embody and transmit to our student.
Read more HERE.
Ho‘omana‘o Mai
Students First Reminder: E Ala Pono Progress Update #2 Information
Through the E Ala Pono Academic Progress Campaign, faculty are able to partner with our campus resources (Advising, Counseling, and the Noʻeau Center) to support the success of our students.
In the E Ala Pono cycle, faculty observe and interact with students and when behaviors or concerns arise (in the 3rd and 7th week), the faculty may complete the progress update, which notifies both the student and the academic support area of concerns. A representative (advisor, mentor, or counselor, etc.) will reach out to connect with the student to create a success plan.
- Progress Update 2: Oct. 14 – 23 (closes at 11:55 p.m.)
If anyone has any questions, please email the E Ala Pono Team at uhwoeap@hawaii.edu.
Take A Moment to Review Our UHWO Annual Security Report
The University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu’s 2024 Annual Security Report (ASR) is now available online. The ASR provides information regarding campus security and personal safety, including topics related to the safety and security of our campus community, such as crime prevention, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other matters of importance. The UH West Oʻahu 2024 ASR can be viewed at westoahu.hawaii.edu/asr.
A federal law called the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 USC 1092(f), also known as the “Clery Act,” requires institutions that receive federal funding to assemble and disseminate information regarding safety and emergency processes and crime statistics, 34 CFR668.46(b). On a university or college campus, this information is contained in a report referred to as the “Annual Security Report” (ASR). The ASR includes statistics for the previous three years (2021, 2022, 2023) concerning reported crimes that occurred on or near campus, as well as institutional policies about campus security.
Hard copies are also available by visiting the Campus Security Office in F-202 in the Maintenance Building (F). For more information, please visit the Clery Act webpage or contact the campus Clery Compliance Officer directly at 808-689-2934 or bbaligad@hawaii.edu.
AUW Donation – NOT TOO Late
Help the University of Hawai‘i touch lives, restore hope and build a healthier and stronger community. The university’s 2024 O‘ahu Aloha United Way (AUW) campaign runs through Oct. 4, 2024. For over 100 years, AUW has raised funds for local nonprofit organizations resulting in services that ultimately benefit hundreds of thousands of Hawai‘i residents in areas including education, poverty prevention and safety-net services. And during times of unforeseen disasters, such as last year’s Maui wildfires, the needs and services provided by AUW become exponentially greater.
The University of Hawai‘i for many years has consistently been a strong partner to AUW, and it’s all thanks to the UH ʻohana. This year, UH hopes to continue this tradition with a 2024 goal of $135,000. The university believes that UH employees will once again give generously this year to help AUW and their partner agencies assist our fellow neighbors in need. Please help us reach our 2024 goal. The programs supported through the AUW campaign help in numerous ways — preparing our keiki to succeed in school, providing support for health-related research, feeding the hungry, caring for the elderly, rehousing homeless families and so much more.
How to Show Support
To show your support of AUW, please visit https://uhgiving.auw.stratuslive.com/. You may also obtain a form-fillable pledge form or a paper pledge form from your campus coordinators. If you need help in using the pledge website, please see instructions on how to donate.
View the Aloha United Way FAQs if you have any questions.
UH System Messages
Please see the University of Hawai‘i’s Vision for Equity
The University of Hawai‘i upholds its commitment to provide higher education opportunities for all, especially at the intersections of historically marginalized groups, including, but not limited to, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, economically disadvantaged, first generation, LGBTQ+, differently abled students, and students from rural areas. To support the success of our diverse student body, the University continues to encourage diversity in its faculty, staff, and leadership.
It will do so through: The elimination of educational attainment gaps; creating an environment where the systems, practices, and resource commitments support the rights and equitable opportunity for all individuals and groups; and developing institutional, individual, and community accountability that is leveraged to dismantle systemic inequities.
Set up your end of semester course evaluation surveys
The end of semester course evaluation setup is underway. If you have not already done so, please go to CES to view or edit your surveys. UH policy states that all courses shall be evaluated. Please verify that all your courses and students are listed. Report any errors and/or omissions using the Request Assistance section in the CES.
You have until midnight on Nov. 29, 2024, to make your changes.
If you have any questions, please contact the CES coordinator for your campus. The coordinator contact information can be found at: https://www.hawaii.edu/ces/contact
Mahalo,
UH ITS, CES